graham



Aug. 27, 1929. T. c. GRAHAM 1,725,911 l PLAY oUTFIT von CHILDREN Original Filed Oct.l 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l :g1/wanton Aug. 27, 1929. T, c, GRAHAM 1,725,911

PLAY OUTFIT FOR CHILDREN original Filed oct. 29, 1926 'l z sheets-sheet" 2 @fig/ff, 14 I -3 /14 Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOM C. GRAHAM, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE EMBOSSING COMPANY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PLAY OUTFIT FOR CHILDREN.

Application led October 29, 1926, Serial No. 144,943. Renewed February 12, 1929.

This invention relates to childrens building blocks of the type comprising a plurality of blocks each provided with recesses in its face arranged in a geometrical pattern, and a plurality of marbles which the child may place in the recesses to support one block above another. Usually the marbles are colored, in strong colors, to make the struc tures more attractive in appearance.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide an improved toy of this general class, which will ail'ord a wider scope for the ingenuity of the child and a wider range of entertainment. A further object is to provide a toy of the class indicated, which can' be used in making vgeometrical designs enabling the child to put together a variety of pleasing arrangements. To these and other ends the invention comprises the novel features hereinafter described.

In carrying out the invention in the preferred manner I provide a plurality of blocks, of wood or other suitable material, preferably polygonal and both equiangular and equilateral in plan-contour, as for eX- ample an equilateral triangle, a square, or a regular hexagon. AV square block is suitable, and with a thicknessabout one third of its width its proportions are good. Such a blocks may be, for example, two vand oneeighth inches square by three-fourths of an inch thick, or, say, five by two centimeters. The blocks are recessed on both faces, the pattern being the same or different on both faces, but it is desirable that each pattern be symmetrical and that each have a recess at each corner or angle of the face, so that in making buildings the blocks can be arranged one above another with a marble interposed at each corner. This is especially important if the faces have different numbers of recesses, as for example ve rows of four recesses each in one face and four rows of four each in the other. The number of such blocks in the set or outfit may be varied, but nine of the size suggested above make a convenient set, with which a considerable variety of buildings may be constructed. I also provide a number of marbles which may be in number considerably in excess of the total number of recesses in the blocks comprising the set, the extra marbles being usable for making K roofs. I also prefer to color the blocks and marbles, for example the former may be white or black and the latter white, yellow, red, blue and green.

An outfit or set of the kind described above is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan view of the recessed blocks, nine in number, enclosed in a shallou7 box. The lid of the box is not shown.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single block, having recesses arranged in a pattern diiierent from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. it and 5 are cross sections of blocks of the type shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but with angular recesses to receive angular marbles as for example small cubes as indicated in these figures.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are elevational views of buildings constructed of blocks and spherical marbles.

The square blocks 10, arranged in the box 1l, Fig. l, have shallow spherical recesses l2, arranged in four rows of four recesses each, forming horizontal and vertical rows crossing at right angles, and also forming diag onal rows crossing at right angles. Another arrangement is shown in Fig. 2, having four rows of four recesses each, and three rows of three each. The patterns shown on the two faces are different, as in Fig. 3, :for example, which has the pattern of Fig. 2 on one face (the upper) and the pattern ,of Fig. l on the other. It will be apparent that the blocks themselves can be arranged side by side in a variety of ways and that the marbles can be placed on the blocks (in the recesses) in a still greater variety of patterns, giving an indefinite number of designs, regular and irregular, symmetrical 'or unsymmetrical. Uusually, it is desirable to have the recesses arranged equidistantly in straight equidistant rows, so that the blocks can be arranged in a greater number of ways without destroying the continuity of the contemplated design.

The recesses shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 are spherical, to receive spherical marbles of the same radius, but the recesses may be of other shapes. Thus in the block shown in Fig. 4 the recesses 13 are square in plan, to receive small cubes, as 14. In Fig. 5 the recesses are tapered or pointed, requiring the cubes to be placed cornerwise.

As stated above, the blocks andmarbles can be used to construct buildings. Thus in Fig. 6 is shown a tower composed of eight blocks with marbles between, and a pyramidal roof made by piling marbles in diminishing courses. In the structure shown in Fig. 7 nine blocks are used, in two courses of four each', with one block on top at the center, and a roof and balustrade composed of marbles. Another building o'll obvious construction is shown in Fig'. 8. These three Figures are intended merely to indicate the use of the blocks and marbles for making buildings, and it will be clear that blocks and pieces of the types shown in Figs. 1i and 5 inclusive can be used in an analogous manner. To permit the superposed arrangement of the blocks with marbles interposed to support the blocks a sufficient number of recesses at the margins of the two faces are in vertical alignment or register. rfhus, in the patterns shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 the recesses at the four edges of one i'ace match those at the four edges of the other. All the matched marginal recesses can be lilled with marbles, as indicated in the lowerA courses of the structure shown in Fig. 6, or only the corner recesses may be utilized, as in Figs. 7 and 8 and in the upper courses of Fig. 6.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific devices herein illustrated and described but can be embodied in a variety of forms without departure 'from its spirit. In the foregoing description and in the appended claims the word marbles is used generally to include pieces-of any shape or shapes suitable for the recesses in the blocks.

l. In a childs block-and-marble play-outlit, a plurality of flat square blocks each having in one square face a plurality of equispaced non-elongated recesses in equispaced rows the number of recesses iny each row being the same as the number of rows,

each block having in its opposite square tace a plurality of equi-spaced rows of equispaced recesses, the number of recesses in said opposite face being different in alternate rows, all said recesses extending only part way through the block and marginal. recesses in the two faces being in vertical alignment, whereby the blocks although havling different arrangements ot recesses in their opposite faces can be arranged one above the other with interposed marbles iitting in marginal recesses of upper and lower blocks or can be arranged in a single layer with either tace of any block or blocks up permost to form continuous or discontinuous designs by placing marbles in appropriate recesses in the exposed faces.

2. In a childs block-and-marble play-outlit, a plurality of flat square blocks of uniform size each having in one square iace a plurality oi equi-spaced non-elongated recesses in equi-spaced rows at right angles to each other the number of recesses in each row being the same as the number of rows, each block having in its opposite square tace a plurality oil equi-spaced recesses in equispaced rows at right angles to each other the number of recesses in said opposite tace being different in alternate rows, all said recesses extending only part way through the block, and recesses at the edges of the two lfaces being in vertical alignment, wl'ierehy the blocks although having diil'erent arrangements of recesses in their opposite faces can be arranged one above the other with interposed marbles litting in recesses at the edges of upper and lower blocks, or can be arranged in a single layer with either face of any block or blocks uppermost -for making continuous or discontinuous designs by placing marbles in appropriate recesses in the exposed faces.

In testimony whereof I hereto atlix my sign ature.

TOM C. GRAl-IAivl. 

